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McDonald's workers should have no problem qualifying for government programs like food stamps and heating assistance.

The hamburger chain pretty much admits that in a call made by a worker to "McResources"– a helpline set up for its workers.

The advocacy group Low Pay is not Ok recorded a phone call made to the helpline by one McDonald's worker Nancy Salgado. The group circulated an edited video of the recording. CNNMoney reviewed the full recording of the call.

Salgado, who has worked at a Chicago McDonald's for 10 years and makes $8.25 an hour, asked the McResources representative a number of questions related to getting assistance to pay for her heating bill, her groceries and her sister's medical expenses. Salgado told the representative that she was recording the call for her sister.

The representative then pointed her toward a number of resources in Chicago, such as food pantries and a program that would help cover some of her heating bill. She said she would email her specific phone numbers and programs.

soundoff(29 Responses)

dave

I own a lot of Stock in Wal-Mart and McDonalds so I am a big supporter of SNAP, food stamps and welfare. The Walton family of billionaires needs this constant flow of welfare money so they do not have to pay their own workers. FAST food workers should get better jobs -– so 20 million FF workers and retail workers and Walmart workers should just get new jobs tomorrow -– Or theses BILLION $$$$$$ companies should pay their own way

December 6, 2013 at 8:24 am |

ohioan

I work a min wage (well, slightly over but still under $10/hr) job almost full time. I have no benefits. But I would NEVER use this as my only income and expect to support a family of 4. If I had to, I could support myself with basics, or pick up an evening or weekend job slinging pizza for extra cash. I do have a spouse who has a good job and I just work because our kids are teens and I don't need to be home with them all the time. When I worked fast food, I was amazed at how many coworkers I had that it was their only income and they had several mouths to feed. Mostly single moms with kids by multiple fathers who were either not in the picture, or were working min wage themselves. And some continued to get pregnant on purpose! All while complaining they can't afford diapers or a reliable car to get to work.

October 28, 2013 at 2:17 pm |

Just a thought

The real issue here in America is that people just like in this commentary, would rather beat up on the citizen needing help and defend the multi-billion $$ company that feeds their children "food like" products. Yes, fast food work is not a career DUH! but when most manufacturing jobs have been lost to outsourcing for cheaper labor, there is not much choice. Remember the 2008 economic crisis? Multi-billion $$ banks and corporations got welfare from the government (From the taxes of the people that they themselves underpay). There were no questions or disciplinary action taken against those responsible, instead their bonuses were delivered while the rest of the workers' wages were frozen because of the economic crisis. People lost their homes and were repossessed by the same banks that got the bail out money from the taxes that the same people they were evicting paid. That is a great system... For the corporations that is!! Where they are never liable for their mistakes and their profits for the executives is all that matters. Why haven't the taxpayers been bailed out from low paying jobs? I mean if companies keep on breaking record level profits, why aren't they forced to share that with the people that make it possible... Like their workforce!!!
I am lucky to work for a company whose president decided that instead of laying off workers during the economic crisis, decided to freeze all top management and executives' salaries including his own and mine. This was done in order to keep as many people employed as possible. The result was that all employees helped out to make the most with less because everyone was aware of the sacrifices the company was making to help everyone out.
My take with many comments here is that, either the people defending the company are trolls that the same company sets out to defend it in forums like this or are plainly blind to the true intentions of these companies (PROFIT), for themselves that is, not for the good of the country, its workers or the citizens for that matter. The fact that i had to really dig in CNN to find this article is testament of where the loyalties lie. News outlets in Europe have this article very accessible.
In the end it is all a Monopoly game, whoever has the most money can control news, advertising, government and even the trolls that set out to defend them in forums like the one here.
It is a sad true but true nonetheless.
Forget about "God Bless America", time to start thinking "God Bless the World"
Cheers!

October 26, 2013 at 3:06 pm |

Joe Blow

TJ Maxx as well as other billion dollar companies offer governmental brochures in their New Hire Orientations and think they are being responsible for doing so; this right after they offer the Anti-Union speech.

October 24, 2013 at 2:04 pm |

Partisan@Joe Blow

A good friend of mine just had to take a minimum wage job at a bowling alley. They told him nothing of how to apply for any kind of benefits. Does this mean McDonald's takes better care of its employees?

October 24, 2013 at 2:45 pm |

lewwho

McDonald's is gaming the system. The income gap has been widening in this country for 30 years and there seems to be no ends to it.

October 24, 2013 at 12:19 pm |

Ok, I've got to ask@Lewwho

How is McDonald's (or any other low-paying industry) "gaming the system"?
Should they pay an artificially high wage just because they want to be nice? Pay someone $15/hour, when other will do the work for $8?

Hey, you know what we need? A fast food workers union! That worked REALLY well for Hostess (not to mention Detroit)

October 24, 2013 at 12:22 pm |

Craig

1. There is no requirement in our economic system to pay wages even slightly proportional to the profits of corporations. What does this mean? Your corporation can make obscene amounts of money on the backs of your workforce, and use it to grow the business as well as pay the top brass ever increasing sums. 2. "All anyone in ANY situation has to do is get an education and find a better job!" - Yeah, good idea. It's quite simple huh? Anybody can get sufficient amounts of student loans without collateral or cosigners, and just go to school. There are even federal aid programs that help out....Oh, wait, the conservatives want to get rid of such entitlements because they're wasteful and unnecessary. Hard to see a cogent argument here that comes from a place other than "I did fine, so everyone else can too." So many people that can't or don't care to see beyond their own situation.

October 24, 2013 at 9:11 pm |

dave

Conservatives hate government and unions (and the color black), but the government entitlement programs are what are keeping the unions out of walmart and Mccrappys - if those workers were starving like coal mners, they would organize.

December 6, 2013 at 8:28 am |

Craig

Perhaps gov't programs do play a role in stifling organized labor, but I'm not so sure that it's the best answer either. Organized labor has had it's own endemic problems that have dramatically reduced it's efficacy at worst, and harmed it's rank and file members at best...

December 6, 2013 at 2:52 pm |

RC

I've never worked in fast food (or any food service job for that matter) but I agree. Most of those jobs were always held by high school kids. I do see more and more "older" people doing those jobs these days. I'm sure some are doing it just for something to do, but trying to make a living in fast food seems like a stretch.

Why should we be subsidizing employees of a multi-billion dollar company?

October 24, 2013 at 10:21 am |

Truth™

And in a related story:
http://money.cnn.com/2013/10/24/news/economy/american-skills/index.html?iid=HP_LN

October 24, 2013 at 9:38 am |

Jdizzle McHammerpants ♫♫ @ Troof

That's because we care more about the Kardashians, unknown 16 year old pregnant girls, and twerking than education. Including the parents.

October 24, 2013 at 10:14 am |

Troof™@JDizz

Could not agree more. But is that why our jobs are going overseas, or is it a byproduct?
Chicken and the egg. Can be debated all day. My guess is that the real issue is a hybrid of both.

October 24, 2013 at 10:24 am |

Jdizzle McHammerpants ♫♫ @ Troof

I'm no expert, but I have a feeling the Unions had a lot to do with it. Companies got tired of being strong-armed into paying someone $50/hr to put a sticker on the visor at the plant, funding their pension, and paying for their healthcare. They said "peace-out, beyatches, lol"

Flipping burgers at micky ds is not supposed to be a career. These jobs are mostly for the youth & were never meant to provide a living wage for a family of 4.

October 24, 2013 at 7:13 am |

Jdizzle McHammerpants ♫♫

Yeah, they should be actively applying for all the jobs in the automotive, tech, and industrial industries like the generations before us.

Oh, wait. That's right. They were moved to China, Taiwan, Vietnam, and India where there are no wage or working standards by the corporate owners.

October 24, 2013 at 9:10 am |

Matt

liberalism is a mental disorder

October 24, 2013 at 10:25 am |

Jdizzle McHammerpants ♫♫

Thoughtful response. Rich and inspiring.

October 24, 2013 at 10:32 am |

Carl

I agree. To them it's easier and more productive and beneficial to protest for higher unjust wages instead of using that effort to improve their marketable job skills. If this is our future, this is the end.

October 24, 2013 at 10:43 am |

Jerry

I'd say conservatisim is a mental disorder

October 25, 2013 at 5:45 pm |

Craig

If the government would, in an intelligent manner, prevent all US companies from using foreign labor to drive down costs, competitors in every industry would be in the same boat. If they can't cut costs in another way enough to remain profitable those businesses will and should be allowed to fail. That's the inconvenient aspect of our free market (if allowed to work properly) that fiscal conservatives love to leave out. The only negative effect? A corporation raking in multi-billion dollar profits might make a billion or two less. Who knows, they might still survive their less than 10% profit loss. A possible positive effect: More jobs for US citizens with higher wages, because a company wouldn't have to worry about their competitors paying a tenth of their labor costs, and subsequently putting them out of business. If this happened, the domino effects would positively ripple throughout the US economy. People would have more money to put into buying these companies' products, and their profits would increase ANYWAY! But
greed reigns eternal...

October 24, 2013 at 10:51 pm |

Mary

Amen..!!! I understand that everyone falls down on their luck at one point or another and may need to work at a fast food chain until better comes along OR work fast food as a secondary part time job to help make ends meet. Outside of that, it should be high-school/college age people working, learning how to cover their own expenses and in turn becoming responsible adults so they can move on to a brighter future.... Why do we have to keep hearing about the poor single mother households on assistance because they cant survive off of their wages from Mcdonalds? It angers me because I am a divorced mother of 3 with little to no help from their father, and no government assistance, yet there are many many weeks that I work 80-90 hours a week just to make ends meet! Where I use my children as motivation to keep going, the other poor single mothers lack drive.... Why is this side of the story not being broadcasted all over america? Why are we as americans allowing McDonalds to be beat up by the slackers of our communities?

October 24, 2013 at 11:49 am |

Carl

Mary, I am so proud of you and and inspired by you! It's people like you with your motivation and dedication that built this country and whose spirit and will lives in my heart always! I am very fearful that the ideals of a strong work ethic, individualism, and self reliance are becoming replaced by what we see in this news article. Regardless of what those people do, you will be successful at providing for yourself and your children, teaching them the lessons of success you are modeling for them today. God bless you!

October 24, 2013 at 12:55 pm |

Hmmm?

What percentage of McD's employees are still living with the 'rents thereby not qualifying?

October 24, 2013 at 6:42 am |

RC

If they're living at home, they shouldn't qualify.

October 24, 2013 at 12:03 pm |

Hmmm?@RC

Right. My question was in response to the lead-in statement in the article:

"McDonald's workers should have no problem qualifying for government programs like food stamps and heating assistance."